About Us - Worldwide

LEITNER TECHNOLOGIES

For 120 years, LEITNER has been the name for advanced solutions and cutting-edge technology. In 1888 the Sterzing mechanic Gabriel Leitner set up a workshop in his home town, where he produced agricultural machinery, material ropeways, water turbines and sawmill equipment, and within a hundred years the company developed into a global player in the field of ropeway engineering. The headquarters of today’s LEITNER TECHNOLOGIES group still occupy the original site in Sterzing. By 1925 the business had grown from a workshop with just ten employees to a plant for the series production of agricultural machinery. After the 2nd World War, when tourism came to the Alps and generated demand for a modern mountain infrastructure there, the company switched from material to passenger ropeways, and in 1947 LEITNER built its first chairlift in Corvara, Italy. LEITNER’s decision to focus production on the winter mountain infrastructure quickly proved a winner. Agricultural machinery production was discontinued in 1970 and replaced by snow groomer engineering. At the end of the 20th century, the company started to develop new production facilities and agencies outside of Sterzing in other countries, and today LEITNER has works in Austria, France and Colorado in addition to Sterzing as well as over seventy sales and service outlets worldwide. In the meantime there has been rapid progress in ropeway engineering, too. Since 1983 high speed detachable systems have gradually replaced fixed-grip installations; the year 2000 saw the debut of the direct drive for ropeways, and ropeway systems have become a convincing solution to the problem of traffic congestion in urban areas. For that market, LEITNER has developed a rope-hauled light railway system by the name of MiniMetro. Since 2003 LEITNER has made use of the synergies available from ropeway and wind power engineering to develop the LEITWIND wind turbine, in which the LEITNER direct drive is employed for the generator. From agricultural machinery to wind turbines – from the very beginning LEITNER has always had a focus on quality, innovative products and cutting-edge technology.

POMAGALSKI, S.A.

The name "Poma" comes from the founder, Jean Pomagalski, who developed the first detachable type surface lifts in France in 1935. From that beginning in the early days of the sport of skiing, Pomagalski, S.A., based in Grenoble, France, has become one of the largest manufacturers of ski lift and other cableway transportation in the world. "Poma" is known today in over forty countries worldwide. Poma came to America in the early 1950's under the name of a Colorado company known as Pomalift, Inc. It has maintained a continuous presence in North America for over forty years. From that start, the word "Pomalift" became generic for platter type surface lifts. Early Poma chairlifts were installed at Squaw Valley for the 1960 Winter Olympics. History was repeated with Poma supplying lifts for the 1984 Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia; the 1992 games in Albertville, France; and the 1994 games in Lillehammer, Norway. Poma of America, Inc. was formed in 1981 and established a factory and offices in Grand Junction in order to have a stronger manufacturing base in the United States for sales in the United States and Canada. The Western Slope of Colorado was selected for geographic advantages in serving the important ski area markets in the Rocky Mountain area as well as Utah, Nevada, California, and the Northwest. A sales office, LEITNER-POMA of America East, located in Stockbridge, Vermont, serves the eastern states. Leitner-Poma Canada, in Barrie, Ontario and Leitner-Poma Canada West, in Kelowna, British Columbia, help cover the Canadian market. In 2000, Pomagalski S.A. merged with Leitner A.G. of Italy, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of ski lifts and grooming machines. As a consequence of this merger, LEITNER-POMA has combined operations with the Leitner North American subsidiary under our new name, Leitner-Poma of America, Inc. LEITNER-POMA’s success is due primarily to providing the highest quality products in the industry, with constantly improving technology. The key to the future sales necessary to maintain this position will be the full cooperation of the entire LEITNER-POMA team toward the goal of quality workmanship, on-time deliveries, and excellent after-sales service. Between 1981 and 2008, LEITNER-POMA has designed, manufactured and installed over 380 lift projects including 29 gondola systems in North America, New Zealand and Australia. Our parent company has built over 8,000 systems world wide.

PRINOTH

PRINOTH – the name has always been synonymous with groomers engineered to the very highest standards. Following the merger of the traditional company in South Tyrol’s beautiful Gröden Valley with the Groomer Division of LEITNER AG in 2000, PRINOTH now offers the world’s most complete range of oversnow vehicles. The leading role on the world market played by PRINOTH, with its labour force of 239 employees, is not fortuitous. Advanced technologies combined with forward-looking design make PRINOTH the unbeaten full-service operator in the field of grooming and PRINOTH groomers bestsellers worldwide.

SIGMA

For more than 45 years, SIGMA has manufactured a large range of vehicles dedicated to passenger transport. SIGMA’s products can be adapted to any technology: cable, rail, observation towers and wheels, either on roads or in the mountains…
Some milestones in SIGMA’s history:
1964: SIGMA created the "Egg", the famous 4-seater cabin known all over the world.
1973: SIGMA launched the manufacturing of the 6-seater cabin.
1997: Space 4, Space 6 and Palace 8 cabins replaced the old models.
1999: “The London Eye”, London’s Great Wheel (135m high).SIGMA designed and manufactured the 32 panoramic capsules offering 25 places (8 x 4m).
2003: SIGMA launched its new line of aluminium cabins: the Diamond Line, ranging from 4 to 20 places.
2006: Again SIGMA presented a new range of aluminium cabins: the Ruby round cabin.
2007: The inauguration of the first Ruby line.
2008: More than 5.000 Diamond cabins all over the world! First line of Diamond Funitel 20-place cabins at Super Besse, France. The first range of Saphir 35-place cabins in Renon, Italy. New Wheel in Beijing (208m high). SIGMA is designing and manufacturing the 48 panoramic capsules offering 40 places (12 x 5m). The funicular line at Mendola, Italy. The 80-place cable car at Zinal, Switzerland.